Mad Hatter's Guide to Clearing The Game

Chapter 44 - Ch42. Quest

'I knew it!' Sarissa thought to herself, grabbing Miles' hand in a strong handshake. 'I knew it was him!'

"What level are you at, if you don't mind me asking?" She looked at his face, trying to reach his eyes, but the way his features seemed to blur and rearrange made her feel a momentary wave of nausea, so she looked away, ever so slightly.

Miles seemed to hesitate for a second, but he answered in the end.

"Thirty four." There was a hint of pride in his voice. "What about you?"

Her jaw dropped for the first time in ages. Level 34? How was it possible, if she herself was only a level 20 player, despite the experience she gathered throughout her countless regressions, and the experience boost given by her [Achievement]?

"Level twenty." Her eyes turned slightly down. "You were quite impressive, defending the players while dealing with the waves by yourself."

"It was nothing, I had help." He chuckled. "You appeared just in the right time. To be honest, my muscles were already starting to feel sore, and I was getting pretty tired. So, once again, thanks for the help."

He turned towards the other players, sprawled all over the street and sidewalks, dead tired and catching their breaths.

"You two, guys." There was a hint of a smile in his voice, and Sarissa felt, deep down her soul, for the first time in forever, something churn and ignite. "If it weren't for you all, I wouldn't be standing now. So, thank you so much." He bowed to everybody, and everyone smiled at him.

First, a single player clapped his hands. Then, there were two, three, and soon after, all players were applauding and chanting for the victory they achieved.

That Sarissa and the masked figure, Miles, helped them achieve.

"You too, were quite impressive. How did you learn to fight so flawlessly? And how did you learn your magic?" Miles turned to Sarissa and asked.

"I, uh... I'm a fast learner, you know? Live or die, and I definitely don't want to die, so..." She felt a pang of discomfort in her stomach. What was it that she was feeling now?

She felt a sudden urge to run away and hide, but it was not fear. It was something else, if only she could put a finger on it...

But before she could do or say anything, Miles broke the brief silence with a question that took the air out of her lungs like a punch.

"Do you want to work together?"

There it was, that hint of a smile, that featureless face, the unrecognizable, yet impossibly distinct lightness in his speech.

And his presence... Soft, yet domineering, like someone you would not dare to mess with.

The words echoed in her mind, colliding against everything she had built herself to be. To fight alone, to never rely on anyone but herself. That was the way she survived. That was how she had clawed her way through The Glitch, through many of regressions, through countless deaths.

And yet...

The battle had been different.

The way they moved together, almost instinctively, without needing to communicate, like two pieces of a broken machine fitting seamlessly together. It wasn't something she had planned, nor was it something she had ever experienced before.

She had fought beside others in previous loops, of course. But this wasn't the same. This wasn't a chaotic, desperate attempt at survival where every player fended for themselves. This was synchronized, fluid, efficient.

It felt... right.

And that terrified her.

Still, her lips parted before she could think otherwise.

"Y-yes." She said, hesitantly.

"Then I guess that makes us partners." A small, fleeting chuckle escaped Miles' lips as he extended his hand.

Sarissa stared at his outstretched hand for a moment, then gripped it tightly.

There was an odd sense of finality in the way their hands met. Like she had just made a decision that would change everything.

The surrounding players, still recovering from the battle, began talking amongst themselves, whispering about Miles with his obsidian scythe, and Sarissa with her unrelenting flames. Their murmurs carried snippets of excitement, admiration, and speculation.

"Did you see that?" One player muttered.

"They were like... In perfect sync!" Another said in awe.

"It's like they've been fighting together for years..."

Sarissa ignored them. She was too focused on the weight of Miles' hand in hers, too lost in the strange feeling settling in her chest.

Then, she let go.

"Alright," she said, straightening her posture. "If we're going to work together, I need to know more about your fighting style. You use a scythe, which means you fight with reach. But what else?"

Miles tilted his head slightly. Then, he spun his scythe around in his hand, the weapon vanishing into a whirlwind of black sparks.

"I adapt," he said simply. "Every fight teaches me something new. And I don't like relying on just one method of attack."

Sarissa narrowed her eyes, but before she could press further, a notification blinked before her.

[You have received a title: Ashen Vanguard]

[Title Effect: When leading an assault against overwhelming odds, allies within a ten-meter radius gain a temporary 5% boost to all stats]

She blinked. That was new.

And unsettling.

Titles were rare. Most players didn't even have one. But more than that... why now?

Before she could dwell on it, another player's voice broke through the murmurs.

"That was quite the spectacle."

Both Sarissa and Miles turned in unison to see the player approaching approaching, his violet robes shifting with his smooth, measured steps. His katana, still sheathed, rested against his hip as his piercing gaze flickered between them.

"You work well together," Shinji noted. "Are you a couple or something?"

"Guess we just have good synergy." Miles shrugged, the corner of his lips quirking upward, while Sarissa forced herself to remain composed.

The player said nothing, but Sarissa caught the slight narrowing of his eyes.

"I'm Shinji, by the way. Hinata Shinji, nice to meet you."

They exchanged handshakes, and it seemed like that was all. But Sarissa could not take her eyes off of the strange player, Shinji. He felt odd, like someone dangerous, but in a subtler kind of way.

She had to be wary around people like him.

But before Shinji could say anything else, another system notification appeared.

[The battle has ended.]

[Distributing Rewards...]

A rush of warmth flooded Sarissa's body as the notification scrolled.

[You have gained 12,000 EXP]

[You have leveled up]

[You have received an item: Clockwork Compass]

[Item Description: An ancient mechanism that emits a faint energy signature when near a specific source of power.]

Sarissa's breath hitched.

Something about that item description unsettled her.

She quickly opened her inventory, scrolling until she found the compass. It was small, barely larger than her palm, with faintly glowing runes etched across its metallic surface.

And for some reason, she had the overwhelming feeling that she had seen it before. Or at least, something like it.

Before she could inspect it further, another notification appeared before her eyes as a single rune glowed faintly.

Towards Miles. He did not see it, though, entertained by Shinji's small talk. @@novelbin@@

The notification, though, was different from the others she had seen before. It wasn't part of the battle rewards. It wasn't even something she had expected.

[You have received a quest.]

[Sands of Time]

[Quest Information: The player Miles has the fragment of an item that can enhance your Regression skill. Kill him and take possession of the item to deepen your powers.]

Sarissa's blood ran cold.